NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARA' MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. S4j 
case I have known intussusception follow the administration of an 
ordinary dose of physic. This was a very peculiar case ; the patient 
was a thorough-bred horse, was difficult- to purge, and as sure as he 
had any purgative medicine given to him, as sure would he iiave an 
attack of colic ; finally, one of these attacks proved fatal; he suffiered 
great pain, accompanied with obstructed bowels, lasting five days. 
There was great tympanitis, and he was only easy when lying on 
his back. 
The post-mortem revealed an extraordinary state of the bowels ; 
the whole of the caecum was inverted into the colon, the whole mass 
being jelly-like and full of cells, it could be cut into slices ; this was 
caused by the adhesions and organizations of the elfused fluid from 
the imprisoned and strangulated peritoneum. 
In another fatal case that I attended, the attack of colic followed 
eating cut grass. There was obstructed bowels for seven days, 
accompanied with great tympanitis and rumbling. The poor animal 
walked incessantly around his box, and his countenance bespoke 
the utmost suffering and anxiety ; the post mortem revealed a small 
and simple twist of the colon upon itself, just at the sigmoid flexure ; 
the bowels anterior to the twist were enormously distended with 
fluid feeces ; and, curious to relate, there was not a blush of in¬ 
flammatory action to be seen. This case occurred just when I was 
commencing practice. It caused me much anxiety at the time; 
and to this day every feature in it is vividly before my mind. It 
was this case that made me think about the disease more than I had 
ever done before, and led me to have settled views respecting its 
nature and treatment. The horse was a valuable one, and highly 
prized by his owner, who, unfortunately for the poor animal, was 
anxious to try almost everything that was recommended by his 
friends as being likely to “open the bowels,” as it was termed. I 
myself was also anxious to oblige, and could not then say no, so 
firmly as I can now, to the many recommendations which were 
offered on all sides, so the poor animal had repeated doses of pur¬ 
gatives, medicated enemas, tobacco-smoke, &c. &c.; and he was 
allowed water and gruel ad libitum. 
Now, look at the post mortem, a small knuckle of intestine had 
turned over upon itself; does it not stand to reason that the in¬ 
testine would have been more likely to right itself by being kept 
empty and quiet, and allowing the natural peristaltic action to go 
on as easily as possible, than by irritating and loading it by means 
of purgatives and fluids which, by their direct weight and pressure, 
must render the twist or strangulation tighter than before. If the 
bowels are comparatively speaking empty, air may pass along them, 
which, together with the peristaltic action, may cause the twist or 
displacement to disappear ; whereas, by attempting to force pur¬ 
gatives through a twisted bowel, we render the strangulation of 
greater intensity, producing pain, inflammation, and exhaustion of 
the system, and considerably reduce the chances of our patient’s 
recovery. 
Obstruction caused by calculi will generally be found in aged 
